Don't let the giants in your life overtake you

Numbers 13:27-33 (NLT)
27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.” 30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”


Leaders of each of the tribes of Israel had been sent to spy out the land God had promised them. These leaders saw a land pleasing to live in and bountiful with food. Even with all God had done to care for and protect them they still feared those who lived in the land. Caleb tried to put their fears aside, but other leaders began to speak out about the giants in the land saying, “We felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” These men were giving up before they even got started and their fear influenced those around them to give up as well.


Our world is full of violence, murder, theft, abuse, hatred and prejudice. Just turning on the news can begin to instill fear in anyone. Yet we must not let fear overtake us for our own sake and the sake of our children. We must place our faith and trust in God that He will protect us. Not that we should ignore prudence for God does not want us standing at the edge of a cliff temping Him to save us from a fall. Instead we must trust the Lord to lead us and give us wisdom in our daily lives. We find wisdom in prayer. We find strength in the Lord for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Instill in yourself and your children to be watchful. While we live in this word, God tells us not to be of this world. Wisdom, courage, peace and love should guide. God is with us always so remember not to fall and not to give up. We fight with the armor of God and stand in His strength knowing we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Don’t let the giants in life intimidate you for you will pass that fear to your children. Instead pass on faith in the Lord remembering that during trials, troubles, and tribulations we can depend upon the strength of God.